Aug 3–7, 2026
Nat'l Problem Solving 2026: what the class said
Five days of National Part I under the real 90-minute clock — full papers, mini quizzes, topic packets, and deep review of the most-missed problems. At the end of the week, the class reviewed the week itself — honestly, with criticism counting more than praise. Here is the whole result.
- 10
- hours of live problem solving over 5 days
- 5
- National Part I papers under the 90-minute limit
- 5
- twelve-problem in-class mini quizzes
- 5
- topic practices with next-day review
“How likely would you recommend this intensive to a friend preparing for the National Part I?”
No response came in below 6. Based on 6 of the 8 live students and 2 of the 4 recording students who completed the end-of-week reflection.
Distribution of 8 responses on a 0 to 10 scale: 0 students rated 0; 0 students rated 1; 0 students rated 2; 0 students rated 3; 0 students rated 4; 0 students rated 5; 1 student rated 6; 0 students rated 7; 1 student rated 8; 3 students rated 9; 3 students rated 10.
Seven of eight rated the papers hard — they are National Part I — yet six of eight were finishing with time to spare by the end of the week.
What helped most
Each student picked up to three.
- Deep review of the most-missed problems7/8
- Extending and summarising those problems4/8
- Sitting the exam under the real time limit4/8
- Mock exam platform timing and analytics4/8
- Reviewing packet problems in the next class2/8
- The 12-problem in-class mini quiz1/8
What was still shaky at the end
Select all that apply — one week sharpens problem solving; it does not close every content gap, and saying so is the point of asking.
- Organic / Biochemistry8/8
- Descriptive / Laboratory5/8
- Equilibrium4/8
- Redox / Electrochemistry4/8
- Bonding / Molecular Structure4/8
- IMFs / States of Matter2/8
In their own words
What they could do that they couldn't a week earlier
Quotes are from the end-of-week reflection, lightly trimmed for length. Students are identified by grade and state only.
I got better at time control during the test. The first national problem set I took, I spent too much time on some of the earlier ones and didn't have time to solve a few questions at the end. The mock exam system is timed and locked, so it was very similar to an actual test — by the end of the week, I could make it through the entire test without skipping problems.
I am now able to systematically figure out color transitions in the d-block by observing the d orbitals, and I can apply the ARIO method to figure out the acidity of a molecule.
Links between problems they now see
Making the connections between electrochem, thermodynamics, and equilibrium was very eye-opening. Connecting them through −nFE, −RT ln K, and ΔH − TΔS was easy to remember — it helped me bypass the lengthy set-ups and convert directly between things like cell potentials and K.
How the week felt
Doing the exams forced you to think accurately and quickly. It left almost no time to wander and overthink. Sitting down and reviewing the questions I got wrong really benefited me because it allowed me to connect ideas between topics.
The week was a transformative experience that left me with profound insight into the ins and outs of the USNCO National Part I. The timed papers and deep review allowed me to get a sense of what level I would need to be at to be able to pass the exam.
The moment it clicked
When Dr. Chen covered how to recognize when to use the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, afterwards every time I saw two temperatures and two pressures, or a mention of the enthalpy of vaporization, the equation immediately came to mind.
Acting on it
What changes for the next cohort
The point of asking for criticism is to use it. Every item below comes straight from what this class wrote.
- 1
Each reviewed problem gets a five-minute concept mini-lesson
Students wanted the underlying concept taught alongside the solution — not just the method for that one problem.
- 2
The mini quiz moves to mid-class
So it can be reviewed the same day instead of running out of time at the end.
- 3
Coverage broadens; the deepest dives tighten
Live and recording students alike wanted more of the syllabus touched, with extensions kept but rationed.
What they asked for next
Where they want help next
Asked what would help most between the intensive and National Part I.
- More 12-problem packets at National difficulty6/8
- Speed and accuracy drills6/8
- Level 4 classes this fall6/8
- More full-length timed National Part I exams4/8
- Written walkthroughs of every problem4/8
- Descriptive chemistry and lab practice4/8
- Advanced organic chemistry4/8
Missed the week? The full recording is available.
Everything this class worked through — 10 hours of live problem solving over 5 days, 5 National Part I papers under the 90-minute limit, 5 twelve-problem in-class mini quizzes, 5 topic practices with next-day review — the same materials they reviewed above, at your own pace.
About these numbers
The end-of-course reflection drew 8 responses — 6 of the 8 live students and 2 of the 4 recording students. Every figure on this page is shown with its denominator. Responses were submitted through a Google Form; the survey asked for criticism explicitly, and completing it was not tied to how positive the answers were. Quotes are used only with the student's consent, trimmed for length and normalized for spelling with wording unchanged, and students are identified by grade and state only.